Japanese course

Lesson 4 of 240

New here? This is lesson 4 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.

Start hereHow this works

Nice to meet you in Japanese

Leo is still new at Kissa Hotaru. He bows too deep at the corner booth and tries his first hello to the yak who never quite finishes his coffee.

Goro answers as if they had already made a plan. Then the talk turns to where people come from, and to being new in Yanaka.

By the end, you can say you are pleased to meet someone, name where you are from, and say you have only just arrived.

By the end of this lesson

Say you are pleased to meet someone, say where you come from, and say you are new.

  • はじめまして。Nice to meet you.
  • よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Please look after me.
  • こちらこそ、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Nice to meet you too.
  • ___出身(しゅっしん)です。I'm from ___.
  • 出身(しゅっしん)はどちらですか。Where are you from?
  • ここに来(き)たばかりです。I'm new here.

Scene — a deep bow

A quiet morning at Kissa Hotaru. Leo stands by the corner booth, still holding his bag, and bows too deep toward the yak on two seats.

Masako watches from the counter. Goro's blend coffee sits untouched, as always.

Leo bows too deeply toward Goro beside the corner booth while Masako watches from the counter.

Learn — nice to meet you

These six lines cover a first meeting: the opener, the closer, and a warm reply.

You also learn how to say where you are from, ask the same, and say you are new.

  1. Leo holds his deep bow toward Goro, with Goro’s untouched coffee between them.

    はじめまして。

    Nice to meet you.

    When to use it: Say this when you meet someone for the first time.

    Learn it as one piece for a first meeting.

  2. Leo gives Masako a small bow as she gestures toward the free seat.

    よろしくお願(ねが)いします。

    Please look after me.

    When to use it: Say this after hello to close a first meeting.

    Learn it as one piece to close the greeting.

    Say it: The u in します is almost silent.

  3. Masako returns Leo’s greeting with a small, welcoming bow.

    こちらこそ、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。

    Nice to meet you too.

    When to use it: Say this when they already said please look after me.

    Learn it as one piece to give the same wish back.

  4. Leo stands beside the booth with one hand at his chest and his bag resting against his leg.

    ___出身(しゅっしん)です。

    I'm from ___.

    When to use it: Name your hometown or country in the blank.

    Learn it as one piece and put your place in the blank.

    Say it: 出身 has a small っ: a brief stop before しん.

  5. Goro raises a hoof in a gentle question as Leo faces him across the booth table.

    出身(しゅっしん)はどちらですか。

    Where are you from?

    When to use it: Ask this to learn the place someone comes from.

    Learn it as one piece when you ask where someone is from.

  6. Leo remains beside the corner booth with his bag while Goro sits across two seats and listens.

    ここに来(き)たばかりです。

    I'm new here.

    When to use it: Say this when you have only just arrived.

    Learn it as one piece when you are newly arrived.

Story — as if they had a plan

Watch Leo meet Goro properly. He bows too deep, then the yak answers as if they had a meeting.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The door opens. Masako looks up from the siphon pots.
  2. Masakoいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
  3. Leoこんにちは。Hello.
  4. She nods at the free seat across from the yak.
  5. Masakoおかけください。Please have a seat.
  6. Leo bows too deep. Goro looks up from the untouched coffee.
  7. Leoはじめまして。Nice to meet you.
  8. Goroよろしくお願(ねが)いします。Please look after me.
  9. He says it as if they had already booked this table.
  10. Leoこちらこそ、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Nice to meet you too.
  11. Goro出身(しゅっしん)はどちらですか。Where are you from?
  12. Leo海外(かいがい)出身(しゅっしん)です。I'm from overseas.
  13. Leoここに来(き)たばかりです。I'm new here.
  14. Goroなるほど。I see.

Practice — first meeting

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    はじめまして。Drop the English here
    よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Drop the English here
    こちらこそ、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You sit down at Goro's booth. You have never met him.

  4. What does it mean?

    こんにちは。

  5. Pick the reply

    Goro says:

    よろしくお願(ねが)いします。

    Please look after me.

    And you reply with:

  6. What does it mean?

    出身(しゅっしん)はどちらですか。

  7. Build the line

    I'm new here.

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  8. What do you say?

    Goro just asked where you are from. Answer with your place.

  9. Swap the word

    You are closing a first meeting. Fix the first word.

    ____お願(ねが)いします。

  10. Which one doesn’t belong?

  11. True or false?

    Say this when you meet someone for the first time.

Say it — your turn at the booth

Now you're Leo at the booth. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Masakoおかけください。Please have a seat.
  2. Leo (you)You have never met him. Introduce yourself.

    はじめまして。

    Nice to meet you.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
はじめまして。Nice to meet you.
よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Please look after me.
こちらこそ、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。Nice to meet you too.
___出身(しゅっしん)です。I'm from ___.
出身(しゅっしん)はどちらですか。Where are you from?
ここに来(き)たばかりです。I'm new here.
Next: lesson 5Please and thank you

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A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your first meeting ready.

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